It's about time I got around to the namesake of this blog. I made ten copies of this book, each illustrated and lettered by hand and then I gave them away to my friends at my 29th birthday party after cooking dinner for everyone. They thought I was crazy but my birthday is on December 28th, in the shadow of The Big Day (aka Christmas.) I felt oft forgotten and at least neglected as a kid on my birthday but somewhere along the way I developed the practice of planning my own celebrations whether it be a party or a day hiking alone.
The covers are made out of handmade paper, The grey paper has various mosses, pine needles and other forest debris inclusions. The inside black paper has old man's beard, a lichen, embedded into it. Not long after making this book I decided to go to school to study calligraphy and painting.
I pretty much stole the idea of portraying a person as a mountain from my first love, who talked about making of portrait of himself as a clear-cut mountainside. It wasn't intentional thievery. Some time after I made the books I remembered his idea and it occurred to me that I had completely revamped his vision to suit my own purposes. I don't think he was super impressed with my theft, especially not the sweetness of my version which I did, in fact present him with on my birthday. He was kind and said nothing.
1 comment:
You are wise to plan your own celebrations. That it is what I have always done. My Mom never had a birthday party for me, ever. And it was not because of religious reasons, I guess she just didn't care. I learned to celebrate myself at a very early age. Your books are wonderful. xoxo Nita
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